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Ethical Socialism
Ethical Socialism is a variant of socialism practiced by the Socialist Party of Kalistan. Its primary features are ethical organization of economy and society, nationalism, focus on National Service, radical civil libertarianism and a strong commitment for democratic institutionalism. Ethical Socialism is based on the philosophy of 19th Century Socialist author and theorist Edward Bennots, who was a prolific writer of his day, focusing primarily on romantic fiction, but occasionally delving into utopian theory. One such book, titled Ethical Socialism (1885) formed the theoretical foundations of the modern socialist movement in Kalistan, and was synthesized into the manifesto of the Socialist Party of Kalistan, which is Terra's primary practitioner of Ethical Socialism. The focus on morality in society found in ethical socialism also greatly informed the work of Jonas Bennots-Plum (a distant relative) as he was re-founding the Society of Brethren in Kalistan in the early 20th Century. Features of Ethical Socialism The Features of Ethical Socialism are as follows # The Ethical Arrangement of society and the Economy- Society can be arranged along moral lines. The implications of a moral arrangement of society require the individual to conform their interest to the needs of society. # An ethically arranged society and economy naturally lead to socialism. Socialism is by definition, the promotion of social good over all things. The Ethical Socialist will say "If it is possible to have a moral society without socialism, we would promote the moral society. But we do not think it is possible." # Feminism- The Ethical Socialist seeks to promote feminist ideals across the society, to include the active promotion of women in positions of power, gender equality in all offices and at all levels of power, pay equality and vigorous opposition to sexism and misogyny in all areas public and private. # Internationally, the Ethical socialist promotes those things which lead to the Country's benefit first. This includes reciprocal trade, neutrality, anti-militarism, and peaceful relations with neighbors. It also includes high degrees of protectionism in the domestic Market, for the production of the needs of society first. # Domestically, Ethical Socialism promotes production for need, not profit, full employment, zero net economic growth, promotion of a robust social safety net, free education, free primary health care, free food, progressive taxation, high national budget surpluses, and minimum basic Income. # Institutionalism- Ethical Socialists are committed to the use of institutions to promote socialism. This includes a commitment to the constitutional rule of law, support for the institutions of Government, and a commitment to democratic elections and peaceful transitions in government. Ethical Socialists certainly promote a large public sector which is capable of bending society toward social good and prevent individual and corporate actors from abusing society for their individual benefit, but not so large that individual liberties are threatened in any way. # Secularism and a commitment to a strict wall between the State and religion for the protection both of free religious observance and for protection of the State against incursion of parochial religion. # Conservation and responsible use of the Environment- As a public good, the environment should be available for use, and consequently, Ethical Socialists tend to be moderate environmentalists who promote responsible usage of the Environment, and often seek laws which prevent private actors from polluting the environment. # Commitment to the Dual Economy, with Public control of strategic sectors and sectors which supply human need, while private sector control in all areas which supply consumer demands. # Radical commitment to Civil Liberties- The only way to ensure an active and engaged population is to ensure that all liberties in the public space are protected from an oppressive State # Support for radical egalitarianism- Ethical socialists believe that all people are equal, and therefore deserve to be treated equally, both before the law and in all interpersonal relationships. # Partisan Militarism- Ethical Socialists believe that citizens should have an unimpeded right to defend themselves and their country from fascists as well as an oppressive government. The Ethical Socialists support Party Militias. # Opposition to State Power- Ethical Socialists seek to alter the balance of power between the State and the People, to the benefit of the People. Therefore, Ethical socialists seek a reduction of police power and abolition of prisons. # Opposition to fascism, racism, and xenophobia- Ethical socialists feel these immoral Rightist ideologies are a symptom of an immorally arranged society determined by the needs of parochial capitalism. An reorientation toward socialism will allow the society to address these socio-pathologies. Differences with Metzism Ethical Socialism focuses primarily on the ethical arrangement of the society. According to Bennots, there is nothing inherently wrong with the concepts of the Market or with free enterprise. Said Bennots in 1887, shortly before his death Role of the State and Party Unlike the Metzists, Ethical Socialism did not envision the State as being the instrument that carries forward socialism. That role is reserved for the people themselves, and the state merely exists to remove barriers to the people's progress. As Bennots said: Bennots felt a similar way about the Party. Where Metz gives a starring role for a vanguard Party of professional revolutionaries, which ends up being an exclusive clique ruling in the name of some ill-defined "proletariat", Bennots saw no role for the Party in a revolution. He generally critiqued the political Party, in fact. Property The implication of this position is that Ethical Socialism differs dramatically from Metzism. Where Metzism and Communism work to abolish private property, the Ethical Socialist will argue that private property and even some degree of profit is not really the problem and can continue to exist even in a fully socialist society. It is the inequality that is generated by unbridled pursuit of profit. Revolution Ethical Socialism only calls for revolution in defense of the People's Rights and Freedom. Consequently, Ethical Socialists strongly oppose violating the law or creating civil disorder, unless obtaining one's goals is a real possibility, and has a decent probability of success, or unless war is the only resource. Bennots stated, Ethical Socialists also do not place their hope for revolution on a Workers' Movement. Ethical Socialists also support institutions and elections. Bennots said, Dialectics Bennots rejected Metz' Dialectical materialism as a Consequently, Bennots rejected Metz' notion that within every system is the contradiction which will cause that system to collapse and bring forth a new system. Rationalism The Ethical Socialist assumes that man is both rational and pragmatic, and a rational and pragmatic individual will prefer socialism to capitalism. Society's advance toward socialism is therefore not driven by conflict over material, but by man's learning how to better allocate resources in an effort to stop repeating the same errors over and over which lead to speculative bubbles, boom and bust cycles and regular destructive periods under capitalism. For ethical socialists, the primary reason society changes is because people discover how to use their material environment to make their social environment better, and one of the biggest material problems is that people are denied access to the things they need to live a good, moral life. Instead, they are taught instead that amoral and immoral people get ahead in capitalism, and this for ethical socialists, shocks the consciences of good people. Bennots said: Differences with Liberalism and Popular socialism Bennots held that liberal ideology prioritizes the individual over the group. While the result may be preferable for certain individuals, not all benefit, or will ever benefit from this arrangement. Bennots responded, In this way, Ethical Socialism focused on how best to build the Society, rather than to prioritize the interests or the good of any segment of this society. Liberal Democracy The Ethical Socialist feels that democracy is not about the number of choices available, as liberal Democracy is, but the moral quality and excellence of those choices. An ethical socialist would be fine with one-Party rule, just so long as that one Party behaved morally while in office. The Ethical Socialist feels that the fewer the number of Parties, the greater the onus is on each of them to behave morally, but if one Party rules the country, and behaves morally for the people, no other Parties should challenge the Moral Party. Any who do are merely seeking parochial power, and cannot be trusted. Bennots said Welfare Statism and Popular Socialism Ethical socialists oppose simply grafting welfare institutions onto Capitalism and leaving it as it is otherwise. Ethical Socialists are explicitly opposed to "Capitalism with a Human Face" policies of Popular socialism. They see popular socialism as a "trick" designed to take people's mind off the fundamental social change necessary to build an ethical society. Bennots said Property and Civil Liberties For Bennots, Property, and all other civil liberties, were to be used not for the enhancement of individual life but for the betterment of society. Therefore, liberty was as protected from regulation and incursion by an oppressive state as possible. It is important to note that property was not to be construed in the capitalist sense as a commodity designed to be exploited for individual gain, but personal property such as a person's domicile, toothbrush, private automobile, etc. Mandatory Civil Service For Bennots, this responsibility inherent in free practice of civil liberties included mandatory Civil Service for all people. But civil service served another major function for Bennots, besides living ethically. It served to soak up the excess labor force in society. The "National Army" Ethical socialists advocate nationalization of most key spheres, and build on the concept of the National Service Program. While Kalistan never fully adopted a national workforce organized in the form of an Army of Workers, as Bennots called for, the National Service Program does include some of the feature of Bennots' National Army. Said Bennots: The Dual Economy Bennots was a strong advocate for the Dual Economy, but his preference was for a parallel economy. For every business in the Private Sector, there would be an equivalent business in the Public Sector. Bennots envisioned this method as a way to ensure wages and fair treatment for workers. The Dual economy endorsed by later Ethical Socialists envisioned a different sort of Dual Economy, one where the Public Sector was used to ensure a Minimum basic Income and standard of living to all citizens, a living wage for all workers across the Republic, and national monopolies in certain key sectors of the economy, such as strategic minerals production, banking, energy and shipping. The Bennotsian style Dual Economy still exists to some degree in all "Public Option" enterprises throughout Kalistan, but is expressed most when basic need, like Primary Health Care and the National Food Bank, is met by the public sector, while elective wants, such as elective surgery, personally owned vehicles and televisions, and anything else which may be described as a "consumer good" are manufactured by the Private Sector. In this new type of Dual Economy, Citizens are freed from want and may spend their time how they like, but still must work to get the things they enjoy. Ethical Socialism in Kalistan Features of Ethical Socialism were introduced in the 1950s and came to full bloom in the 1960s, but saw a decline in influence in the early 1980s and were entirely rejected by the Kalistani government following early 1995. Ethical Socialism once more returned to the fore of Kalistani politics in 2008 and finally were re-enacted into law following the return of the Socialist Party of Kalistan in 2019. Between the adoption and modification of the dual economy (and the SP's softening toward it) and the adoption of various National economic institutions, Ethical Socialism is the bedrock upon which Kalistan's economy and society are built. Listed below are a few examples. Notable Ethical Socialist Institutions in Kalistan * Doceus Rex University- A 4 year institution which specializes in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, utilizing an "Each One, Teach One" Methodology which is widely held to be the forerunner of the National Service Program. Located in High Bong Neveras. * The National Food Bank- Established in 1965, Designed to ensure food to all free of charge, served the dual purpose of providing all people of the Republic fresh food options at a low cost, and guaranteeing price supports for Kalistani Farmers, to eliminate the effects of fluctuation in the food market * National Service Act- Originally passed in 1974 and reauthorized in 2019 after being cancelled by Liberal Government in 1998 to serious detriment to salaries and productivity, The NSA creates the National Service Program which essentially nationalized all tuition payments to institutions of higher education, thus tying recipients of free education in Kalistan to National Service. Students would attend all school as long as they wanted to, but in exchange they would serve the equivalent amount of time in the NSP, where they would spend their years maintaining the Republic and acquiring valuable life skills. When they finished their tour, they had no college debt, and could be free to make their decisions without worrying about how they were going to pay off a large loan. Notable Institutions of the Dual Economy in Kalistan * Organization of Drug Exporting Nations- Nationalizes the purchasing and distribution of all drugs in Kalistan and throughout the world. Meant to guarantee a reliable supply of high quality drugs both of therapeutic and recreational varieties to Kalistan, and to provide a valuable source of foreign income in Kalistan * KALNAPECO- Charter for the Kalistani National Petroleum Company, Nationalizes Kalistani petroleum extraction, refining and sales throughout Kalistan and the World. Also, serves the Nationalized Energy market. * KALNAFERCO- The equivalent of KALNAPECO, but for ferro-minerals and steel. Establishes a National Foundry for refining and production of Steel. * KALMILINCO- The Nationalized National Military Industrial Corporation, aims to supply Kalistan with all the materials necessary to provide defense to the Republic * The Republican National Bank- Aimed at creating a stable basis for the Kalistani economy the National Bank acts as the depository of all tax receipts of the Republic, as well as the single Payee for all National Programs and Corporations. Ethical Socialism Abroad While Ethical Socialism as an ideology has not officially spread beyond Kalistan's borders, there is some evidence of the ideology's application in a few other nations. As of 2526, Lourenne's economy is beginning to adopt aspects of the Dual Economy, and there is some evidence that Vorona might adopt at least some features of the ideology.